I prefer powdered steel over Carbon only because I sharpen powered steel knives on an Edge Pro device. The edge I can get on my Miyabi (Hitachi ZDP-189) is insane and better than anything I can get on the respected Aogami Super blue. SG-2 is also harder to sharpen than carbon steel. It also isn't as tough but edge retention is superior.

You can't go wrong with Aogami Super. It's an awesome steel. A little harder to sharpen than white with less toughness, but best edge retention among carbon steels. If you want an inexpensive taste of it, JCK (and other vendors) sells the Hiromoto Tenmi Jyuraku at a reasonable price at a softer HRC61.

mpukas

07-01-2012, 03:54 PM

I have a Blazen 270 gyuto f/ EE in SG2. It's more difficult to sharped than white #2 or AS, but I can get it very, very sharp with some concentration and effort. Looses that initial sharpness rather quickly, and settles to a point about 70-75% or so for a long time. Doesn't respond very well to a MAC ceramic rod or stropping compounds for touch-ups. I've not had any problems with this knife chipping.

I have a couple of Moritaka knives in AS - it's not much more difficult to sharpen than white #2, and has much better edge retention. I've had some chipping w/ AS. Depending on the maker, the angle being sharpened at, and the intended use, a micro-bevel may be appropriate.

I have a few knives if white #2 f/ Yusuke, claiming to be at 62HRC. Stupid easy to get stupid sharp. Not the greatest edge retention. Easy to touch up. The MAC rod gives it a rather toothy, rough edge that has a lot of bite. Responds readily to stropping compounds for touch ups. When it's no longer sharp and I don't have time to sharpen properly, I actually like to make a couple passes on the MAC rod to get the edge aligned and add some bite and then strop to smooth it out a bit. No where near as good as the edge off the stones, but passible.

I wish semi-stainless steels had their compositions published. When high performance semi-stainless comes thick and hard, I have to assume that it's some variation of D2 tool steel which is amazing but behaves like SG-2. I have to assume that semi-stainless with HRC63 is something very close to D2 (a.k.a. SKD a.k.a. SLD). My Tadafusa Santoku is an amazing performer for an 80 dollar cutlery. But it's thick.

tk59

07-01-2012, 05:53 PM

I have a Blazen 270 gyuto f/ EE in SG2. It's more difficult to sharped than white #2 or AS, but I can get it very, very sharp with some concentration and effort. Looses that initial sharpness rather quickly, and settles to a point about 70-75% or so for a long time. Doesn't respond very well to a MAC ceramic rod or stropping compounds for touch-ups. I've not had any problems with this knife chipping.

I have a couple of Moritaka knives in AS - it's not much more difficult to sharpen than white #2, and has much better edge retention. I've had some chipping w/ AS. Depending on the maker, the angle being sharpened at, and the intended use, a micro-bevel may be appropriate.

I have a few knives if white #2 f/ Yusuke, claiming to be at 62HRC. Stupid easy to get stupid sharp. Not the greatest edge retention. Easy to touch up. The MAC rod gives it a rather toothy, rough edge that has a lot of bite. Responds readily to stropping compounds for touch ups. When it's no longer sharp and I don't have time to sharpen properly, I actually like to make a couple passes on the MAC rod to get the edge aligned and add some bite and then strop to smooth it out a bit. No where near as good as the edge off the stones, but passible.

I pretty much agree with all of these comments. I, personally, haven't had any chipping problems with SG2, either other than Shun. Blazen and Asai have been very nice.

TB_London

07-01-2012, 06:35 PM

My SG2 Takamura is my first knife that scared me with how sharp it got. Haven't had chipping issues with it either.

Lucretia

07-01-2012, 07:01 PM

Haven't used white #2, but I have an SG2 Epicurean Ryusen from EE (advertised at 62-64 HRC). I find it very easy to sharpen. Not sure how my edge really compares to "crazy-sharp", but it's pretty fast and easy to bring it to a point where I can shave very fine slivers off a grocery store receipt. I do find it responsive to my ceramic rod (fine Idahone) and stropping--it will probably be even better if I get off my lazy arse and get a real strop and some stropping compound. If I don't use the hone pretty religiously I notice it tends to develop small chips. I think it probably develops microchips that will propagate into larger chips if not regularly removed by the hone. Haven't had any problem removing small chips--even when my "coarse" stone was a King 1000. I use crappy cutting boards (polyethylene, I think) because they go in the dishwasher. A better board would be kinder to the edges and reduce the chipping, but it takes less time to give the knife a little attention now and then than it does to wash a cutting board by hand every time. One of my best knives for edge retention.

I liked my first knife of this line enough that when they went on a black friday sale I picked up a couple more--and might grab the gyotu if they ever have another big sale because they are just such nice tools.

jcsiii

06-27-2013, 11:23 PM

I've got a miyabi 600 mc with SG2 steel and I really enjoy it. Once you've set the edge you want on it (for me I changed it to more of a 80/20 edge) it resharpens fairly quickly. It takes a keen edge especially when i finish with a loaded strop. It reacts beautifully to a borocilicate rod and gives me a hair shaving edge in a pro environment for a good two weeks before i choose to resharpen. I like SG2. On the elites I think it worked well with regards to the butchering style knives they have like the honesuki.

panda

06-28-2013, 01:12 AM

that AS kagayaki looks pretty sweet! anyone have any experience with that?

ThEoRy

06-28-2013, 08:35 AM

That's a pretty cool knife. It's like a thinned out Damascus wa hiromoto. The iron cladding is pretty reactive. I etched one and it came out beautiful.

panda

06-28-2013, 02:28 PM

how is the grind and cutting performance?

ThEoRy

06-29-2013, 12:34 AM

It was really thin behind the edge. Pretty great cutter, kinda felt like a kochi.

panda

06-29-2013, 12:51 AM

Ease of sharpening, edge retention? I'm actually very interested in a kochi

ThEoRy

06-29-2013, 01:23 AM

AS is pretty easy to sharpen as far as I'm concerned. Edge retention was pretty durn good as well. Responds well to stropping too.

WiscoNole

06-29-2013, 01:38 AM

I have had very good experiences with SG2. It is an exceptional stainless steel. Of course it doesn't sharpen as quickly as carbon, but it holds a very good edge for a long time; exactly what it's supposed to behave like.